New Delhi:
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar died early Monday morning in Bengaluru, officials said. Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister, Kumar was not keeping well for some time and was on ventilator for the past few days, ministry officials said. He was 59. He was a BJP MP from the South Bengaluru constituency.
Union Minister Ananth Kumar passed away in the wee hours of Monday in Bengaluru
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) November 12, 2018
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/i2XalM44YW pic.twitter.com/tooXqrxMUW
ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh Elections 2018: State goes to polls today under shadow of Maoist threat
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Kumar a remarkable leader. "Extremely saddened by the passing away of my valued colleague and friend, Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. He was a remarkable leader, who entered public life at a young age and went on to serve society with utmost diligence and compassion. He will always be remembered for his good work," he tweeted.
Extremely saddened by the passing away of my valued colleague and friend, Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. He was a remarkable leader, who entered public life at a young age and went on to serve society with utmost diligence and compassion. He will always be remembered for his good work.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2018
Describing Kumar as an able administrator, the Prime Minister said he was and was a great asset to the BJP. “He worked hard to strengthen the party in Karnataka, particularly in Bengaluru and surrounding areas. He was always accessible to his constituents,” Modi said. “I spoke to his wife, Dr. Tejaswini Ji and expressed condolences on the passing away of Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. My thoughts are with his entire family, friends and supporters in this hour of grief and sadness. Om Shanti,” he said.
A graduate in law, Kumar was suffering from cancer and had come back from the US in October after treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York.
ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh Elections 2018: On eve of poll, state Congress vice president Ghanaram Sahu resigns
Kumar is survived by his wife Tejaswini and two daughters Aishwarya and Vijeta. the mortal remains of the Union Minister were taken to his residence early in the morning.
Bengaluru: #Visuals from the residence of Union Minister Ananth Kumar who passed away at the age of 59, last night. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/M5iDx1iXQD
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2018
Bengaluru: National flag draped over casket carrying mortal remains of Union Minister #AnanthKumar, who passed away in the early hours today. pic.twitter.com/DURLjS99L3
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2018
